


Over the Edge

by La_ember



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Mates, Mating Bond, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:47:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24874075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/La_ember/pseuds/La_ember
Summary: Elain's second Star Fall is one for the record books. Mor helps Elain find the perfect dress, and Rhys invites some less than ideal company. The time is finally here for Azriel to figure it out.
Relationships: Elain Archeron/Azriel
Comments: 3
Kudos: 103





	Over the Edge

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written for ACoTaR before, but I just re read them and MAN are Elain and Azriel perfect for each other.   
> All characters belong to Sarah J. Mass!

There were flashes of thigh, creamy and supple, peeking through a high slit in the skirts of the gown Elain wore to StarFall. Azriel let his eyes travel down to the delicate curve of her knee, then to the slope of her calf, followed by a delicate ankle, ending with her dainty foot in a sparkly high heel shoe. Azriel’s mouth went dry, his eyes drank her in and for an indeterminate amount of time, he heard and felt nothing from his shadows as his mind went blank but for thoughts of that creamy expanse of thigh. 

Elain had donned gowns in night court fashion for the first time a few months ago. Nothing so brazen as Mors typical attire, but the lower cut, more fitted styles certainly flattered her. He had noticed and been pleased to see she had started accepting her new fae life. Even taking to wearing the pants and leggings that Feyra loves so much, though he and Cassian had yet to get her into leathers again. Elain looked gorgeous in anything, but this StarFall gown was simply perfect. 

The sweetheart neckline was held up by sheer skin tight sleeves that shimmered when she moved her arms. The bodice was snug to her slim waist, and plunged down between the valley of her breasts, their rounded curves so sweet and supple he imagined he could taste her honeyed skin on his tongue. The skirt was full, but the slit was daring. And mesmerizing. And sexy as sin. 

Azriel felt some deep male gratification at seeing that shade of sapphire on her. The gown was dyed to look like dusk, the sapphire of his siphons a perfect match for the blues in the bodice. The skirts deepened to navy and eventually black as it swept the floor. He could pick out the glinting of small beads and gems that looked like the first stars to shine through the deepening night. The stars you wished upon when you had the time to gaze at the night sky.

Elain stood with her sisters, both of whom looked gorgeous as well he noted absently. Her eyes were clear and bright, and none of the malaise of the past year hung about her. 

Azriel felt the pang of longing in his chest growing steadily. This feeling was unlike anything he had felt before, despite having spent the past 500 year pining for Mor. He understood now that this was a new depth of feeling. This was not merely longing, or even desire. There was a raw need that had been growing in him since he had met Elain in the human lands. It had grown so quickly he hadn’t seen it coming, even as his shadows whispered to him of his own desires. 

Azriel was holding out by some miracle, maintaining their intimate friendship while battling his own need for her. He did not want to scare her, or inadvertently drive her away. It had been 6 months since she had broken her mating bond with Vanserra. And in those six months, they had ingrained themselves into each other’s lives in every way they could without becoming romantically involved. But that slit, the creamy flashes of supple thigh, and the delicate curves of her breasts in sapphire silk were going to push him over the edge. He could already feel her in his hands, hear her phantom sighs as he pictured what he would do with that slit. 

Azriel jumped when a hand brushed his shoulder, and a sultry voice broke through his ill timed fantasy. 

“Isn’t her gown perfect? We all went shopping together this year. I convinced her she would look fabulous in blue.” 

Mor was smiling a Cheshire Cat grin beside him, her eyes were alight with mirth and mischief. Azriel felt none of the longing that once might have plagued him when he saw Mor standing by his side in a splendid burgundy sheath. 

In the aftermath of the war with Hybern, Mor had explained to him why. Laid bare the reasons why they could never be together and apologized for the 500 years of secrecy and agony she had subjected him to. 

It had been a tense few months after her confession. Azriel had been lost in the feelings of hurt and betrayal, and had felt like a fool. In the end he could not allow himself to lose Mor as a friend and confidant. He understood why it had been so difficult to be honest. She had dreaded hurting him and confessed to hating herself because she could not reciprocate his feelings. 

When all had been said and done, Az had grown to love her more as a friend than he ever could have when he had thought of her romantically. And the months he had spent avoiding Mor had given him the perfect excuse to haunt Elain Archeron instead. 

Az closed his mouth having just realized it had been hanging open in his perusal of Elain. Mor’s smile deepened and her eyes glinted knowingly, “You know Az, I’d keep a close eye on her tonight. Remember who Ryhs invited this year.” 

With that subtle warning, Mor slid away heading for Cassian who also stood gaping at the Archeron sisters who had just arrived. He imagined Cassian’s expression was from the sight of Nesta in a dress of black lace that covered everything, but left nothing to the imagination. 

The subtle reminder Mor had given of who would be at Star Fall was a sobering thought. Ryse had invited Devlon, the camp lord or Windhaven and he had brought with him two of his warriors. Ryhs was trying to build a more stable connection between the Illyrians and his court. He hoped inviting Devlon would begin to build that bridge by showing that the Illyrians were more to him than just an expendable fighting force. The war with Hybern had agitated the already tenuous relations between the high lord and his aerial forces, they all hoped to make some inroads with Devlon who could sway the other, more ornery camp lords. 

Devlon himself was of little concern, Az knew the male would not do anything to jeopardize his standing with the high lord. But Azriel had his shadows watching the two warriors that had arrived with Devlon. They whispered their misgivings and a warning that the two warriors would not be cordial house guests. Az would not be surprised if Devlon hadn’t done anything at all to be sure the warriors would act appropriately. 

Azriel moved to cross the room towards the Archeron sisters. He knew Feyre could handle herself, she was high lady. And Nesta has made an impression on her first visit so she was likely to be left alone. Besides, the glare in Cassian’s eyes spoke of death to any who drew near her. If Devlon or his warriors wanted to stir up trouble, Elain would be the most advantageous target. Though she no longer refused point blank to let him and Cassian teach her at least self defense, she had succeeded in delaying and putting them off for the past few months. She was virtually defenseless on her own, so Az would be sure she was never alone. Truly, the easiest mission he’d ever been given. Ryhs had asked that he and Cassian stay close to the sisters because of their Illyrian guests, and neither he nor his brother were too upset about it. 

His fingers curled around Elain’s waist and he breathed in her fresh scent, like a spring meadow after a rainstorm.   
“Elain, you look beautiful.” The word felt inadequate, but when she turned her face up to meet his eyes the smile that bloomed was earth shattering. 

“Thank you Az, Mor was very convincing, I almost didn’t pick this gown.” Elain leaned into him, her hand resting on his arm and he felt the impression of her hand burning through his dress shirt. 

Azriel purposefully did not address her comment about Mor, wanting to leave her and the past 500 years out of their conversations this evening. They had spoken of his feelings for Mor, and Elain had stood by him as 500 years of his hopes and dreams had crumbled. They did not need to talk about her any more than they already had. 

“Would you dance with me?” His voice sounded rough to his own ears, but Elain’s grin just grew as she accepted his hand leading her from her sisters. He was aware of the hopeful smile on Feyre’s lips and the warning in Nesta’s eyes. Azriel knew the others in their circle were on to him. But he couldn’t be sure what Elain felt, and hers was the only opinion that mattered. 

They danced wrapped up in each other, her full skirt swirling around both of their legs and that slit allowing for her bare leg to brush against him as they moved. Az could feel her chest rise and fall against his as he swung her up in his arms and spun. Elain’s laughter was infectious and his shadows swirled in appreciation of her. 

They danced together until Elain rested a hand on his chest and leaned up to his ear, her breath sweet and warm on his neck sent a delicious and agonizing shiver down his spine. 

“Can we go out to watch the sky? I don't want to miss it.” Her soft voice was full of anticipation, and Az let her lead him from the dance floor and into the cool night. 

The balcony was occupied by small groups clustered together awaiting the holidays namesake. Azriel remembered last year’s Star Fall, Elain’s first. She had been so different a year ago, wearing a pale rose human gown, and clinging to Feyre and Nesta all evening. Az remembered the way his entire being had tingled when he saw the tears in her eyes as she gazed up at the silver streaks of Star Fall. He had somehow known those tears had been cathartic for her, felt the shift in her emotions as she and Nesta had held each other while Feyra held Elain’s hand in her own. 

He looked down at her now, her eyes turned up to the night sky in eager anticipation, no sign of tears or conflict in their depths. 

“Last year, why did you cry?” Az noticed she had not released his hand and he struggled to sound nonchalant as he asked the question. 

Elain took a deep breath of night air and sighed, a mix of contentment and something else. “It was just ...so beautiful. So beautiful it hurt to look at, but too beautiful for me to look away. I wanted to see it every year forward and it made me realize there were still things to live for. I think I cried because StarFall was one of the first things I had found beautiful since being put in the cauldron.” Her breath hitched on the word cauldron, but her eyes had flashed down to his hand still in hers. He felt a bubble of longing as he remembered her words when they had first met. When he had offered her his hand and she had barely breathed the word ‘beautiful’. 

“StarFall helped me realize my life did not end when I became Fae. There was still beauty in the world for me, I started to see it again that night. That’s why I don’t want to miss a minute of it.” She clenched his hand tighter in her own and her head fell against his bicep, her cascade of chestnut curls swaying in the evening breeze. 

He saw the beauty in her words where others might have focused on her despair. Azriel felt his heart swell that she had found her will to live, that she had made such strides in overcoming her hardship. The now familiar feeling of desire that was both agony and ecstasy gnawed at him as he stood by her side waiting for the stars to fall. 

The horizon was still the pale blue of dusk so they had some time and Azriel offered to go find them some Champaign. Cassian and Nesta stood together a few yards away and Azriel caught his eye, Cassian would keep an eye out while he was gone. Elain nodded her acceptance but told him to hurry back so as not to miss it. 

Azriel felt himself smiling as he strode inside to grab two Champagne flutes. It was hard to trust himself after being so wrong about his feelings for Mor. He had spent 500 years thinking he had a chance, when really he hadn’t even been a possible contender. Azriel reflected not for the first time, that 500 years was a long time to be so, so wrong. But with Elain, he felt that if she denied him he might never recover. He had to trust that she was feeling even half of what thrummed through him, because if he lost Elain, he was sure he would never love another. 

Two glasses in hand, he was passing through the open archway to the balcony. His eyes searched for Elain when she was not in the spot he had left her. That’s when Azriel felt his skin grow tight, his shadows flicked about his head whispering. From across the patio he heard Cassian snarl. 

By the edge of the balcony, Nesta was pressed behind Cassian and the two Illyrians who had come with Devlon were crowding menacingly around them. One of the Illyrian brutes had stepped in front of Elain, between her and Cassian. She was pressed up to the banister and the stricken look on her face had Azriel moving to her side in an instant. 

Before he had taken two steps it was as if time slowed. Azriel watched in horror as the Illyrian flared his wings at Cassian in a show of aggression. His wing knocked Elain forcefully in the chest and pushed her back. In agonizing slow motion he was helpless to stop it as he saw Elain tumble over the edge. 

That feeling in his chest, the one he had contended with and struggled to name since meeting Elain finally burst in a raging flood and his instincts screamed at him. The words echoed about in his head, a cacophony of emotion whiling in their wake. 

MATE. 

YOUR MATE. 

PROTECT HER, SHE IS YOURS. 

He was over the edge before the two Champagne flutes burst against the stone patio. For the first time in his life Azriel thanked the mother he had been born an Illyrian as his wings bore him down towards her falling form, a streak of blue against the dusky sky. 

Azriel could see she must have fainted as she plunged headfirst towards the rocks below. Her body was limp, and she wasn’t screaming flailing which was good, because grabbing her out of the air and halting her free fall would be hard enough as it was. It took seconds to come even with her and clasp her to him, but it felt like an eternity. His own heart was hammering wildly in his chest as the ground had grown so close he could clearly see the trees below. Azriel pulled them up from their free fall, glad once again that Elain had fainted as the wind and force of his direction change jarred him. His wings beat with great booming force as he held her steady in his arms and shifted so he cradled her against his body. Her skirts were silky in his arms and he reached around the slit to grasp her bare legs so he could hold her firmly to him. The wild call in his blood was thundering and he barely had time to be confused by the feeling of the bond, a mating bond. A mating bond with a female who had a mating bond with another, broken though it was. 

As the terror subsided, it was replaced by confusion, rage and longing so sharp he could taste it on his tongue. Azriel flew them straight up past the balcony she had fallen from. He had sent a shadow to Rhys, he and Cassian would deal with the two Illyrians. Though Azriel’s instincts raged at him to kill the one who had pushed Elain off the balcony. 

He landed softly on his private balcony on the other side of the House of Wind, it was connected to his own rooms. He thought to set her down on the daybed, but found his arms unwilling to release her. Azriel sat instead, still holding her across his lap. He ran his hands and eyes over her face and body, checking to make sure she hadn’t struck the rock in her fall, assuring himself she was safe. 

He saw the moment her face pinched, her beautiful brow furrowed and she moaned softly. He choked on his own cry of relief and held her tight to his chest. He felt her body shake as fear and adrenaline coursed through her.

“Azriel!” Her choked sob sounded muffled, and he felt her fear as the bond tightened against his chest. The bond. A mating bond. How could this be? 

“Shhhh, I’ve got you, you’re safe.” He was mumbling against her hair and rocking back and forth. The bond was thrumming through him, demanding to be acknowledged, demanding he claim her. Cauldron how had Rhys withstood this? This was agony. 

Azriel found his nose pressed against her throat, his lips pressing open mouthed kisses to her sweet skin. He breathed deep, the smell of her fear helping to keep his arousal barely restrained. 

“What happened?” Azriel waited to ask until her sobs had subsided and she clung to him, molded to his chest. 

“I heard Nesta scream, one of those Illyrians from Windhaven groped her I think.” Elain’s slim figure shuddered, when the tip of his nose brushed just under her earlobe and the smell of her fear was replaced by arousal that washed through him. His hands fisted in the skirts of her gown. His tight control slipping inch by inch. 

“I went to her to help. Nesta, she had a bad experience,” Elain gasped when he sucked lightly on her pulse point and her words died in her throat. Azriel knew what had happened next, Cassian would have it handled. 

Elain’s throaty gasp had nearly been his undoing, but he needed to talk first. Azriel told himself he could not blindly follow his instincts. Elain may not want him, she hadn’t wanted the other male who had claimed a mating bond to her. If he tried to claim her with the ferocity and passion boiling through him before explaining himself, she may never accept him. 

“Elain,” his voice was pained as she began rubbing small circles on his chest where her hands rested. He could smell her arousal, wholly replacing her fear, feel it down the bond she hadn’t yet accepted. He felt none of the fear that had wracked her body when she had woken in his arms and he wanted to claim her. His blood was singing with the need of her. But lusting after and accepting a mate were two different things. He could not bear the thought of having her once and never again. 

“Azriel, I want this.” It was as if she was hearing his thoughts. Elain leaned her head back to look into his eyes and he saw through the tear tracks on her face that her eyes blazed with intensity, willing him to see she truly meant what she said. 

“ Elain” he tried again to say what he needed to, pushing through the crippling anxiety of loss and rejection that dragged him down. “We,” Azriel swallowed thickly, and looked into her walnut eyes, “we are mates, Elain.” 

Azriel braced for the inevitable rejection, looked for it in her eyes as he continued. “I’ve loved you for months, and felt deeply for you before I even realized it. I never thought we could have a mating bond, because you had a mate. I never looked for a bond or tried to feel one, I thought it impossible. Though now I know I felt it long before tonight.” 

Her eyes were shining, her face alight with a dazzling smile and he felt himself begin to hope. “When I saw you go over the edge, my instincts screamed out MATE and I felt the bond snap into place.” At the mention of her fall, Elain shuddered but then only held him tighter. 

“I know this is sudden, I didn’t plan to tell that I love you tonight, let alone that we are mates. I don’t want to pressure you Elain.” Azriel felt his will contend with the urge to claim her, staggered by the sheer enormity of feeling behind the bond. “I’m sorry...” 

Azriel was abruptly cut off by Elain’s mouth on his and her hands in his hair. Her glorious fingers dragged through his hair and her nails scratched his scalp causing his spine to tingle and forcing a vicious groan from his throat. 

Elain broke their kiss, “Don’t you dare apologize to me Azriel.” Her words were breathless and her face reflected the longing he felt in his soul. 

“I can’t do this if it’s not forever Elain. I couldn't give you up after this.” He spoke through the longing, knowing he could never give her up, even if she said no. “I can’t.”

With his head bowed, Azriel waited for the words he felt sure would follow. All of his plans to confess, to tell her he loved her, had included preparing for the inevitable rejection. Suddenly he wasn’t just confessing his feelings, but presenting her with a mating bond she may not be interested in. Azriel knew who he was, what he was, and it was nothing compared to Elain. Her brightness, her joy, her kindness, he had nothing to equal those qualities in her he loved so much. To give him this mating bond had been a cruel trick of the cauldron, for now he felt the crushing loss of rejection and he feared it would be too much. 

Elain sighed softly as she grasped his face between her hands. “Oh you stupid male. How can you not see? I more than love you” she guided his face up, forcing his eyes to meet hers. “Azriel you are the other half of my soul.” 

The words crashed over him, washing him first in cold disbelief, and then in hot desire. Elain kissed him softly, her lips a gentle caress. “Azriel, you are my mate.” Her lips brushed the tip of his nose. “You are mine, my mate.” She brushed his cheek, his jaw, and forehead with soft kisses, each kiss punctuating a declaration of love, acceptance, and desire. “You are my mate, I am yours, and I need you. Now.” 

Azriel felt overwhelming need surging through the bond, his or hers he couldn’t tell. His arms banded around her and his mouth found hers in a searing kiss. Azriel felt the bond around them, singing with sexual energy and buzzing with their shared desire. 

Dimly Azriel thought it was a good thing they had forever to make love, because this first time was going to be over too soon. He felt her break away for a moment and his chest rumbled but she returned immediately, that glorious slit in her gown letting her throw her leg over his lap and sit astride him. His hands roved over her satin covered waist and up to mold to the curves of her breast. Elain arched and whimpered, her hips pressing further into his erection and Azriel lost the tenuous hold he had on himself. 

Azriel slid one scarred hand under her gown and palmed her ass, squeezing and massaging as he guided her hips to move against him. His other hand slid into the bodice of her dress, taking full advantage of the plunging neckline. Elain’s whimpers grew to panting moans and Azriel reveled in the sound. There were so many places he needed to put his hands and so many sounds to coax from her. He floated in a sea of need and Elain was his life raft. 

Without pause, Azriel stood and turned. He lay Elain down on the daybed and knelt at the foot. Elain pushed herself up on her elbows, looking bereft to be so far from his embrace. She pouted as she met his eyes, but gasped when he flipped the skirt of her gown aside, baring the smooth expanse of her creamy legs. Thank cauldron for thigh high slits. 

Elain gasped as Azriel nipped at her thigh, then sucked hard enough to leave a mark. His rough hands hooked behind her knees and pulled her further down on the cushions. 

“Holy hell Elain. Just. Fuck” Azriel said into the the soft flesh of her inner thigh as he guided her feet over his shoulders. He paused only to remove her one sparkly high heel, the other must have been lost in her plummet from the balcony. The reminder of the mortal peril she had faced this evening drove him to growl as he pressed his mouth into her satin covered mound. They groaned in unison as his nose bumped the taught bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs, hidden behind sapphire satin and lace. 

Azriel wasn’t sure who he was torturing at this point. When he scraped his teeth over the wet satin of her panties, just above her clit, she panted his name and his cock throbbed achingly at the sound. So he did it again and this time Elain arched with an incoherent cry, “Az! Please!” unsure of what she was begging for. No one had ever done this to her before, and though Elain had read about this act in a few of Nesta's dirty novels, she had thought it a fantasy.

Azriel slid his hands down, one arm covered her lower abdomen, the other hooking in that small barrier of fabrics between him and the land of milk and honey. 

But instead of giving her what she wanted, he blew softly on the apex of her thighs, drawing out her anticipation. In retaliation, Elain ran one of her dainty toes down the joint of his right wing and Azriel jerked and growled. His mouth covered her, and his tongue lapped her long and hard. With his strong forearm holding her hips in place, Elain cried out and shook her head on the lounge cushion, drenched in the pleasure he wrought on her. 

“Oh Elain, you play dirty don’t you love?” Azriel cooed against her as one finger sunk into her wet hot heat. His name became a mantra on her lips as he sucked her clit. She was so close to coming on his mouth, Azriel sunk a second finger into her and flicked her clit with his tongue. He felt the shimmer of her release down the forming bond and he groaned as she let go. 

He held her through the tremors that rocked her, his mouth still lapped at her teasingly as she came down from her euphoria. 

“Az?” Elain said his name in question and he placed a final chaste kiss on her sex before sliding her panties into place. He crawled over her to see her face and noticed the flush of her cheeks and starry eyed smile. He looked at her hungrily. “Elain.” 

Looking demure, Elain grasped his wrist and brought his hand to her mouth. Azriel watched in shock as his scarred finger disappeared into the perfect wetness of her pert mouth. He felt her tongue explore the ridges of scar tissue as she licked herself off his fingers. Elain would need to thank Nesta and her dirty books. It took a second but his brain caught up just as she popped those two fingers from her mouth. Holy hell, he did not deserve this. Was all he could think as he launched himself at her. 

She cupped the back of his head and held him to her, her kiss fanning his fire. She felt his urgency and began to unbutton his shirt with sure hands, her own need growing as the kiss deepened. 

As he made quick work of his belt and the buttons on his pants she pushed the shirt over his shoulders, her mouth eagerly moving to his now exposed chest. “Cauldron he is handsome.” Azriel blushed at the compliment, realizing somewhere in the back of his mind it hadn’t been spoken aloud. 

“Elain, your dress,” Azriel growled as her hand had reached the open fly of his grey dress pants. “Off. Now.” 

“I should tell him to rip it off me” Elain’s thoughts washed over him again and he groaned. He knew she wouldn’t want this gown ruined, he didn’t either. Though the mental picture of ripping the bodice from her was wicked. Elain was pushing him back so she could stand on shaky legs. She turned her back to him “Zipper, please.” 

It was so like Elain to use the zipper and to say please, he felt his heart pulse with his love for her. He placed a kiss at the base of her neck as he slid the zipper down her elegant back. He shucked his own pants and sat naked on the daybed, content for the moment to watch her beautiful gown fall away. 

As Elain turned to face him, the first star flew across the sky, a brilliant silver streak that reflected the joy glittering in her eyes. Elain peeled the sleeves from her arms, the boning in the bodice keeping the gown up, until she pushed it down over her hips. She stood before him bathed in starlight, the magnificent blue gown puddled at her feet. 

“Mother above I don’t deserve her.” It was Elain this time who heard his errant thoughts through their tentative bond. She reached for him, desperate to show him how worthy he truly was. She stepped over the gown, pausing to hook her thumbs in her lacy underwear. 

“No, let me.” Azriel kissed the plane of her stomach as he pulled them down her legs, fingers drawing swirls on her creamy thighs. 

She reached a hand towards his cock, laying hard and thick against his stomach. Azriel jerked when blinding pleasure assailed him. Elain’s hands were callused and strong from tending the garden, but still so small and fine boned. She rubbed her thumb over the smooth head, and he shuddered. 

“Az, there are so many things I want to do to you. But I swear if you are not inside me in the next five seconds, I think I will die.” Azriel wasted no time. He grasped her hips and lifted her over him and she slid her knees over his sides and guided his cock into the slick opening of her sex. The stars fell as they joined together and Azriel felt his soul cry out in joy. Elain was so tight and so perfect, but more than the physical feeling of their coupling, he felt complete for the first time in almost 600 years. 

Azriel heard her soft moans as she held him, moving up and down, sliding her hips forward and back as she chanted “Mine.” Their eyes met and they both shuddered as they felt the bond solidify between them and Elain whispered in his mind “Take me Azriel, I am yours.” 

With fluid grace, Azriel took them down to the daybed, flipping their position so Elain lay sprawled beneath him, chestnut hair spread wildly across the cushions. He saw the starlight illuminating her pale skin, and the love glowing in her eyes. He slid a rough hand across her breasts as he slowly slid deeper into her. He saw stars even with his eyes closed. Stars and a glowing bridge connecting them mind to mind and heart to heart. 

Elain held his biceps, hands sliding over his shoulders and into his hair, looking for purchase as she felt the intensity growing. Holding on as he drove their pace, every thrust a proclamation. Mine. 

Elain stood no chance, her orgasm grew like wildfire as Azriel claimed her and gave himself to her in equal measure. She reached for his wings and ran her finger down the inner crease, her touch feather light against the membranous skin. Azriel bellowed, his release so intense it sent her over the edge with him. She cried out his name, unsure of what else poured from her as she sank into a sea of contentment and bliss. 

______

Hours later in Azriel’s private rooms in the House of Wind, they lay still entwined in each other. Az was stroking one of the mate marks on her skin that proved their bond. 

Elain had found it odd that two had appeared, but Feyre’s mate mark was a full glove so she figured there weren’t really any rules about it, there was just more of a guiding principle. 

Az was stroking the tattoo of truth teller on her upper right thigh, the one that the slit of her new favorite dress had exposed. The line drawing of his dagger was traced in blue black ink, including the inscription on the blade, and around it wrapped a vine of ivy. There was no denying who her mate was based on that mark alone. 

However a second tattoo had appeared, an 8 pointed star in a circle of dark ink rested between her breasts, below it a peony bloomed in an upturned crescent moon. Fine lines like gilded chains draped and curved below her breasts. It was a beautiful tattoo, and she would have to get Mor to shop with her for more night court clothing so it could be seen. 

When Azriel had found it between her breasts he had looked at her in wonder and said “because you are my star shining in the darkness.” 

Only one mark had appeared on Azriel’s skin, but it was so beautiful Elain could not stop gazing at it. The back of his right hand now had a blooming peony that matched the one on her sternum. The flower bloomed from swirls and whirls of blue black ink that banded his forearm, and from the bloom rose an 8 pointed star in a circle of dark ink. The scars on his hand remained, but they added to the beauty of the mate mark, and Elain could not stop herself from stroking and kissing his hands. 

They had made love again after they noticed the marks, slow and deep until Elain was sure Azriel could never doubt her devotion again. 

But now, they lay curled together in bed, relaxing before they inevitably went at each other again. 

“I still can’t believe I am your mate.” There was a hint of strain in Azriel’s voice as he broke their peaceful silence. 

Elain felt his tension through their bond and asked tentatively, “What do you mean?” 

Azriel was silent a moment, and his hand reached to cup her breast, fingers stroking the mate mark as he did. 

“You were someone else’s mate, but now you are mine.” She could hear the possessive undertone and it drew out a shiver from her. 

“Lucien was never my mate.” 

In an instant, Elain found herself face down on the bed, Azriel moving over her, his thick erection sliding between her wet heat as he pinned her hands by her sides. 

“Let’s not say any other males names while we are naked Elain. Especially not his.” Azriel continues the slow slide of his cock, stopping just short of sliding into where she needed him most. She groaned in frustration as she bucked her hips. 

“Explain first, and then I’m yours.” Azriel waited for her to continue, but he didn’t stop the slide of his cock, up and down between her slick folds. 

“Think of it as a bond of fate instead of mating bond. To Luc...” Azriel growled and Elain shuddered “to him, it felt like a mating bond because it’s not as though he’d ever felt one before. Oh god, Az.” She rocked her hips, the slow rubbing doing just enough to drive her crazy. 

“Not yet Elain, I need to know.” This was the most exquisite torture he’d ever inflicted. 

Elain’s voice was breathy, and he drew out some shuddering moans when he wrapped an arm around her and added a lazy finger on her clit. 

“I had visions of his future, he needed me to send him to Vaasa. They are fated, he will break her curse by making her Fae.” The words tumbled out, frantic and edgy. “Az, please.” Azriel wasted no time, his teasing having made them both wild. 

Azriel did not remove his fingers from her clit as he seated himself to the hilt, and in three deep thrusts he felt Elain fly apart beneath him, and the pleasure he felt down the bond had a sharp edge. He held on for her, drawing out her pleasure and delaying his own. 

When her shaking eased he guided her to lay flat, and pulled her right knee up to her chest. She couldn’t move or contribute very much in this position, but the view or her gorgeous back and rounded ass were amazing. Azriel leisurely stroked her smooth back, and set a deep relaxing rhythm with his thrusts, building her back up until she panted below him, the slow intensity a balm to their earlier frenzy. This time, they tumbled over the edge together. Azriel lay over her, cradling her body protectively in his and whispering confessions and promises in her ear. 

They lay curled around each other, Elain dozing with his scarred hand pressed to her lips. Azriel cloaked them in shadow, drawing a curtain on the outside world. There was nothing he needed now that Elain lay by his side.


End file.
